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Legislation Proposed to Expand Benefits for Widowed and Surviving Divorced Spouses
U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), along with four other Democrat Senators, announced on Thursday proposed legislation aimed at expanding Social Security benefits for widowed and surviving divorced spouses. Labeled the Surviving Widow(er) Income Fair Treatment (SWIFT) Act would call for “necessary changes to Social Security benefit rules by addressing outdated benefit caps, arbitrary legal restrictions, and claiming requirements — resulting in increased benefits for widowed and surviving divorced spouses.
As reported on Sen. Gillibrand’s website, ““ur seniors have spent a lifetime working hard and paying into Social Security, and they deserve to receive adequate benefits and retire with dignity, not spend their golden years just trying to get by,” said Senator Gillibrand. “But outdated rules and antiquated policies mean that too many seniors, especially widowed spouses, and women disproportionately, aren’t receiving the benefits they’ve earned or being treated fairly. Our SWIFT Act will help modernize the program and strengthen benefits for our seniors.”
Read Sen. Gillibrand’s full press release on the Swift Act here, and check out the proposed Bill text here.